Back at work...at last!

So I went back to work this week, on Wednesday the 15th, which actually fell on the nine-month anniversary of my surgery.  I worked four hours Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, and I have to say, I was very happy to see the weekend arrive and, even better, a LONG weekend.  Even with a reduced schedule of four hours a day, my job involves a LOT of sitting, and I never realized how hard it is on the back!  My new office chair is a total bust, but the kneeling chair is great.  Hopefully, I can get a different type of office chair in place of the bad one, but I know that will take time...

In other news, my baby got a bath and haircut yesterday and came back looking quite dapper.  This cold weather we've been having makes Chance very frisky and prancey (is that a word?), and his blue kerchief seemed to go with his feisty little spirit. 

I'll share one more fun thing.  For Christmas, my father-in-law gave me an Amazon gift card.  I love Amazon, because you can find absolutely anything you want, and have it delivered to your door.  So what I found was an adorable sterling silver bow ring.  I have a thing for bows.  It's sort of kooky, and it's mostly under control, but every now and then, I just have to have something with a bow.  I just can't help it; it's sort of a sickness.  So anyway, I used my gift card and got this.

Isn't is ADORABLE?  It will be even more adorable when I get a manicure. 

Now that I've fed the Bow Beast, it should be okay for awhile.  Maybe.

More later --

Sunday check in

So, it's been a really good week.  Healthwise, I've done at least one or two things every day that made a positive impact on our health.  We've been eating better -- for example, I haven't used a frying pan all week; instead, I have used my oven and roasted or baked all my meals.  I've added a lot of  good veggies to our diet (broccoli, peas, carrots, green beans, etc.), and I try to keep a large container of salad made in the fridge that we can have at all times.  Also, we have been taking the salmon oil supplements every day.  So, even though we're not eating perfectly, I feel like all these little changes are helping us to be a bit healthier.  As I always say, Progress, Not Perfection. 

My big news is that the final piece of ergonomic office equipment has been delivered to my workplace, and I will be headed back to work this week.  I am nervous and excited at the same time.  It is just shy of nine months since my back surgery.  Nine months.  Wow.  I could never have guessed in my wildest dreams that my back surgery would ever lead me down the path I've been...and if I knew then what I know now, I probably would have chosen not to do the surgery.  But, having said that...I am so much better than I was, and I believe that ultimately, this surgery will be a rousing success.  It's just that the road getting there will have been very, VERY rocky.  And nobody chooses rocky, if they don't have to...

But, what's done is done, and I'm ready to move forward.  A little nervous, yes, but ready!

More later --

Health: a small word that packs a big punch

So, I am focusing on my word for 2014.  This first week I've worked on meal preparation because, frankly, that is where things can go horribly off-track, and the chickens all come home to roost at my door.  I love to cook; I love to bake.  My dearest loves to eat, especially sweets, and I'm one of those old-fashioned Southern girls who believe that you show your love through the food you serve.  So.  It's a bit of a conundrum.  A sticky widget, if you will.  I know this is all me and my head stuff that needs rewiring.  I know I need to equate steamed veggies with a longer, healthier life with love for my mate.  It all makes logical sense, but I just gotta tell you ... a plate of steamed broccoli just doesn't give me the warm fuzzies that a bowl of, say, mashed potatoes with gravy does.  But I digress.

Last night I served grilled tilapia with green beans and brown rice.  And (dipping head here) garlic toast.  Progress, not perfection, right?  Steve made the comment during dinner that he really liked eating healthier, which just made me happy.  I know making these small changes is good for us, but hearing that little word of affirmation made it even better.

In addition to meal changes, I have started both of us on salmon oil capsules.  The main immediate goal for both Steve and me is reduction in inflammation, but fish oil provides so many other great health benefits:  heart & cardio function, joint health, brain function, and more.  I found a very high quality cold pressed salmon oil supplement with all eight of the Omega-3s that we need, and I feel really good about that.

Steve is using the treadmill, and I am doing my PT exercises faithfully, and doing some walking outside, but not enough.  I need to do more.  So, once again, progress, but definitely not perfection.  We have lots of room for improvement, but that's okay.  As long as we're in pursuit of the goal of health, I'm happy.

Wishing you good health too, my dear readers!

More later --

Happy 2014!

 Does this basket make my butt look big?   No, seriously...

I am not really one to make resolutions, simply because I don't want to set myself up for failure.  How's that for positive thinking?   I just think that starting too many things at one time sort of predetermines a less than successful result.  At least, it does for me.  I have to keep it simple, stupid.  Big time. 

So, rather than set out a list of things I want to accomplish during this year, Steve and I have a word that we have chosen to make our focus this year and from now on:  HEALTH

We are going to try to keep health as a focus, and just do better.  I know we won't miraculously become perfect eaters, working out obsessively and becoming Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels.  We don't even care about doing that.  We just want to go into our senior years healthier.  It's a big deal.  We've only got each other to take care of each other!

So, this is our time to do better.  To start making small steps to improve our health.  I went grocery shopping yesterday and bought a couple different kinds of flash frozen grilled fish, so that's on the menu this coming week.  I've also got a whole chicken in the freezer, and I'll take it out to thaw and we'll have a whole roasted chicken too.  Yummy and (yep) healthy.  I also bought a lot of green veggies, so we're good on that account too. 

So my wish for you is a very Happy and HEALTHY New Year.  And, may all your resolutions be keepers. 

More later --